The biggest story in college football currently surrounds one of Penn State’s quarterbacks. Not Drew Allar, who announced his return for the 2025 season on Monday, but backup Beau Pribula, who is set to enter the transfer portal and has left the program before Saturday’s first-round College Football Playoff game against SMU.
With Allar’s return, Pribula’s decision to transfer should hardly come as a surprise. What is surprising, however, is the timing. It’s a story of the NCAA calendar and the transfer portal window. It’s a story surrounding a clear flaw in the college landscape, where players are tasked with choosing between competing in the postseason and balancing opportunities for their future.
James Franklin and Pribula have chatted for weeks about this process. Last week, Pribula entered Franklin’s office and declared he had no intentions of leaving before the playoffs. But after feeling pressured to visit interested schools while practicing for the Mustangs, Pribula did not feel as if he could prepare to the best of his abilities, Franklin said.
“We got problems in college football. And I can give you my word, Beau Pribula did not want to leave our program, and he did not want to leave our program until the end of the season,” Franklin said. “But the way the portal is and the timing of it, and the way our team is playing, and when you play the position of quarterback, and there’s only one spot, and those spots are filling up, he felt like he was put in a no-win situation. And I agree with him.”
Pribula showcased throughout the season that he’s likely good enough to start for a Power Four team. His role wasn’t limited only to backup opportunities. Pribula was a spark plug in two-quarterback sets that gave opponents something unique and difficult to gameplan for. And when he was asked to replace Allar, who was injured for the second half at Wisconsin, Pribula excelled.
Franklin has no quarrels with Pribula’s decision to transfer. He understands it. But what he’s not content with is the system that leaves players, like Pribula, with the impossible decision to play through the postseason or begin looking for opportunities to benefit his future.
“I hate for it, No. 1, most importantly, for Beau Pribula. I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the student athlete. I don’t think it’s in the best interest of college football. But I think that’s our challenge right now, right? Who is really running college football and making the best decisions for the student athletes and for our sport as a whole?,” Franklin said. “Beau should not be put in this position.”
What’s the solution? Franklin has asked himself this, just as many coaches across the country likely have. Franklin has weighed whether shortening the regular season or eliminating conference championship games could help align the season with the academic calendar. Whatever the solution may be, it’s clear there’s a problem with the current model.
“To have a transfer portal/free agency, going on right in the middle of the playoffs, it’s just a lot of things that don’t really make sense,” Franklin said.
There’s one suggestion Franklin has been adamant about for years, and Pribula’s transfer has only amplified his calls. Franklin said it’s “obvious” a commissioner of college football is needed. That would be step one in cleaning up a landscape with money flowing and guardrails almost nonexistent. But in Franklin’s eyes, not just anyone could assume this role.
“We need somebody running college football,” Franklin said. “We need somebody that is not biased based on a conference, and that is out of the financial impacts of it, as well. Because if you’re just making the decisions which are in the best interest of student athletes in college football, then I think you can do it. But if you’re biased by a specific conference or if you’re impacted by making all your decisions based on revenue and earnings, then we’re never going to get to a good place.”
Just as Franklin understands Pribula’s decision to transfer, he gets that some people across the country will ask why Penn State’s backup quarterback couldn’t finish the season with his team. The fact of the matter is, Pribula was hardly left with a choice. Stay and miss out on opportunities, leave and face backlash.
“I’m concerned for college football right now, in general, to be honest with you, and I think a lot of people are,” Franklin said. “… Why have we created a system where this guy couldn’t finish this season with his team?”
